Google Group Instructions
Before You Begin
Insure that the group administrator or instructor has added your name and email to the group. If you don't know who the administrator is, ask your instructor. Send an email to him/her to confirm that that is done. You will not be able to get into the group until the administrator adds you. Once you have confirmation from the group administrator that you are added, you are ready for the process to get in, specified below.
IMPORTANT NOTE: The email you give the administrator will be the one you use to create a google account (if you haven't already). If you've already got a google account, use the email that to which that account is attached.
Step One: Get A Google Account
If you already have a gmail address, you already have a Google account, so skip to step two. To get an account, go to Google Account Manager. Click on "create an account now" in the lower right of screen. Fill in required information carefully. Your account user id will be whatever email you type in, and your password will be whatever you type in the password field.
Please REMEMBER YOUR USER AND PASSWORD INFORMATION!
You will receive an email at whatever email address you specified. You need to go check your email, find the link from Google that gets automatically sent when you've requested a Google account, and CLICK ON THE LINK INSIDE THAT EMAIL. That's how Google knows the email is really yours. (It is called "verifying" your email address.) You won't have an account until you have clicked that link inside the email Google sends you.
Step Two: Ask Group Moderator For An Invitation To The Group
The next step is to send an email to the group moderator (if you don't know who that is, ask your instructor) requesting an invitation to the group. Once he/she has accepted your invitation you'll have access to the group, after signing in to your Google account.
Step Three: Sign In To Your Google Account
Go to groups.google.com, and click the small "sign in" in the upper right corner of screen. For gmail users, enter your gmail email, and password to log in. For non gmail users, enter your email from the Google account you made in step one. Enter your password from step one. Click "sign in" button.
Step Four: Enter The Group
You should now see your group displayed under "My Groups" (provided the moderator received your invitation and accepted it). Click on the title of your group to enter the group.
To Sign Out
Click on small "sign out" in upper right corner of screen.
To Sign Back In
Go to groups.google.com and click the small "sign in" in upper right corner of screen.